Support for Christmas tree or analogous elements

ABSTRACT

A conserving device for plants includes a receptacle, a support member formed of two retaining elements of which at least the first one is provided with fasteners enabling it to be fixed in a detachable and/or movable manner to the receptacle, and fixing elements which are provided for connecting the second retaining element, in a detachable and/or movable manner, to the receptacle or to the first retaining element as well as tightening elements which submit both retaining elements to forces for bringing them mutually together in such a manner that the trunk of the plant disposed between the two retaining elements is tightened in a manner adapted to its diameter.

The present invention relates to a method for conserving plants having atrunk of a large dimension, particularly of the Christmas tree type,comprising the introduction of the trunk of the plant into a receptacleand its immobilization in a stable manner in the receptacle, in a set upposition, as well as a regular water supply. It also concerns aconservation device comprising a receptacle in which the trunk of theplant is introduced, the receptacle being formed by a bottom, from whicha peripheral casing juts out upwardly, and being open upwardly, andretaining means which are able to maintain said trunk in a set upposition in the receptacle, as well as means for stabilizing thereceptacle on the soil. The invention also concerns a support member tobe used for such a conservation.

One of the drawbacks of Christmas trees is well known, they dry upquickly, their needles then fall on the ground and their use inside isthus of short time. On the other hand, it concerns plants sometimes oflarge dimensions which are difficult to introduce into a receptacle,such as a pot, and above all to be maintained in a set up position.

Receptacles are known which are provided with means for retaining thetrunk of the fir introduced therein. Those means only enable theintroduction of the cut trunk of the fir through a passage having alimited aperture foreseen in the middle of the receptacle. There thetrunk is then blocked by means of blocking means and the pot isstabilized by external stays taking a lot of place.

Those receptacles do not enable the introduction of the trunk of the firprovided with its roots, a lump of earth or a container filled withearth. The introduction of the trunk into the central passage of the potis not easy when the fir has a large weight and usually several personsare required in order to perform that operation. Finally, the usedreceptacle has a dedicated and obligatory form and not every pot can beused for that purpose.

On the other hand, when the fir is provided with a lump or with acontainer, usually the lump or the container is planted into a largerreceptacle and earth is added in order to fill it. Eventually the fir isstayed as much as possible and then water is added in order to lightelymoisten the earth without liquifying it. As soon as too much water isadded, the earth will not longer retain the trunk of the fir which couldthen bend or fall down.

Under those conditions, it is thus impossible to correctly supply waterto that fir, which explains its quick dry up, particularly when it issubmitted to very bad climatic conditions of a heated interior of aliving room or a reception hall, a.s.o.

On the other hand, it has been observed that when only put into water,the trunk which is not provided with its roots could present an aspectof improved freshness for a little longer than the trunks put intomoistened earth. Although this improvement is of short time and in anyway unsufficient, because, like cut flowers put into water, the firs ofwhich the trunk is cut jeopardy after a certain time.

Finally, the sales of firs with a lump of earth or a container is not anenvironment friendly solution because it degrades and let quicklydisappear the soil from which the firs are extracted.

It is an object of the present invention to find a solution for thosedrawbacks mentioned herebefore by making use of a method and aconversation device as well as a support member which enable to conserveduring a longer period and in a fresh and vigourous state, a planthaving a larger trunk, particularly a Christmas tree, in the badconditions of the interior of a home. The method and the deviceaccording to the invention must enable to eliminate the quick dry up ofthe Christmas trees and to let in a large way disappear the danger offire which they represent. The method and the device for supporting andfixing must among other be simple, even for not so strong persons, andthe device must above all be universal, that is to say adaptable to anytype of fir, cut or not, with a lump of earth or a container or onlywith roots. Finally, the support member must be adaptable to most of thepots and plant receptacles used on the market.

This problem is solved according to the invention by using a method suchas described in the beginning, that method comprises the fixing of thetrunk to the receptacle, in a manner adapted to its diameter, even whenthe trunk is still provided with its roots, a lump of earth or acontainer, and the stabilization of the receptacle by filling it withwater which not only serves for feeding the plant and conserving it instrength and freshness, but also fot ballasting the receptacle.

One can also provide, according to the invention, a device for theconservation of plants having a trunk of a large dimension, particularlyof the Christmas tree type, such as described in the beginning, thatdevice comprises as retaining means, a support member constituted of tworetaining elements of which at least the first one is provided withfastening means enabling it to be fixed in a detachable and/or movablemanner to the receptacle and fixing means which are provided forconnecting the second retaining element, in a detachable and/or movablemanner, to the receptacle or to the first retaining element, in such amanner that the two retaining elements are disposed on both sides of thetrunk, as well as tightening means which submit both retaining elementsto forces bringing them mutually together in such a manner that thetrunk of the plant disposed between the two retaining elements is fixedin a manner adapted to its diameter, the trunk having been cut at itsbase beforehand or being still provided with its roots, a lump of earthor a container filled with earth.

Finally, according to the invention, a support member is provided whichcomprises two retaining elements of which the first one is provided withfastening means enabling to fix it in a detachable manner to anyreceptacle, and fixing means which are able to connect, in a detachableand/or movable manner, the second retaining element to the firstretaining element in such a manner that the two retaining elements aredisposed on each side of the trunk, this one still being outside of areceptacle provided for receiving it or already inside the latter, andthe first retaining element being already fixed or not to the receptacleby its fastening means, and tightening means which submit both retainingelements to forces bringing them mutually together in such a manner thatthe trunk of the plant disposed between them is fixed in a manneradapted to its diameter, the trunk having been cut at its basebeforehand or being still provided with its roots, with a lump of earthor with a container.

Other details and particularities of the invention will become clearfrom the description given hereunder, by way of a non-limiting example,with reference to the annexed drawings, as well as from the claims whichfollow.

FIG. 1 represents a top view of an embodiment of a conservation deviceaccording to the invention.

FIG. 2 represents a cross-section according to the line II--II of FIG.1, at an enlarged scale.

FIGS. 3 and 4 represent a lateral view and a schematic view of anembodiment of the support member, provided in the bottom of thereceptacle.

FIGS. 5 to 8 illustrate the universality of the application of a deviceaccording to the invention.

FIG. 9 represents a perspective view of a device according to theinvention before the introduction of the trunk.

FIG. 10 represents a perspective view of the trunk of a fir providedwith a support member according to the invention before the introductionof the trunk into a receptacle.

FIG. 11 represents a view from the bottom side of another embodiment ofa device according to the invention.

On the different drawings, identical or analogous elements are referredto with the same reference.

On FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 to 8 a device is illustrated for conserving plantshaving a trunk with a large dimension, particularly a Christmas tree.This device comprises a receptacle 1 in which the trunk 2 of the plantis introduced. The receptacle 1 is formed by a bottom 3 from which aperipheral casing 4 juts out upwardly.

The illustrated receptacle is of the type of a bucket in plastic ormetallic material or of a pot in a ceramic material, but it will beclear that its form and the material of which it is realized are notcritical. The receptacle must of course be open upwards in order toenable the introduction of the trunk of the plant.

The device according to the invention comprises moreover, in itsembodiment illustrated on the figures mentioned herebefore, a supportmember 5. As it becomes clear, particularly from FIG. 1, this membercomprises two retaining elements 6 and 7. The first retaining element 6is provided with fastening means which enable to fix it to thereceptacle in a detachable and movable manner. In the embodimentillustrated by way of example on FIG. 1, those fastening means compriseelongated holes 8 provided at the end of the retaining element 6, insuch a manner as to enable an adjustment of the length of the retainingelement 6 to the diameter of the receptacle 1 and a lateral adjustmentto the plant. The fastening means mentioned herebefore comprise interalia fastening shafts 9 threaded at one end and in the form of a hook 10at the opposite end. That hook is provided in order to grip at theunderside on the border 11 of a current receptacle for plants and theillustrated embodiment of that hook is only given by way of example. Thethreaded shaft 9 can slide through the holes 8 and the fastening meansmentioned herebefore comprise inter alia wing nuts 12, which serve totighten the retaining element 6 against the border 11 of thereceptacle 1. When one of the fastening means is detached and the screw12 of the other is a little bit unfastened, it is even possible that thefastening shaft 9 serves as a rotation axis for the retaining element 6(see FIG. 9). This set-up enables thus a detachable fixing or simplymovable of the retaining element 6 to the receptacle 1. This fixing canamong others take place before or after the introduction of the trunkinto the receptacle, because even in a position fixed at one side, itleaves the opening of the receptacle free for the passage of the trunk,even if it is still provided with its roots, a lump of earth or acontainer.

The first retaining element 6 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is a rod in aresistant material of any nature. Its length is at least equal to theone of the above aperture of the receptacles currently used for plantingChristmas trees inside. Instead of elongated holes 8 describedhereabove, one can also provide other current set-up, for adapting thelength of the rod 6, such as for example a telescopic set-up (see FIG.11). One can also provide, as illustrated on FIG. 1, that the rod 6 isformed by two parts 6A and 6B which can be joint (in 6C), in such amanner as to be able to put the rod 6 in the bottom of the receptaclewhen it is not used.

The second retaining element 7 of the support member of the deviceaccording to the invention is, in its embodiment illustrated on FIG. 1,formed by a rod of a resistant material of any nature. Advantageouslyits length is less than the aperture of the receptacle.

On FIG. 1, fixing means are provided for connecting in a detachableand/or movable manner the rod 7 to the rod 6. Those means comprise twoshafts 17 and 18 which jut out parallel on one side of the rod 6. Thoseshafts 17 and 18 are mutually separated by a distance larger than themaximum and usual diameter of the trunks of firs to be conserved inside.Their length is sufficient so that, when the trunk of the fir issupported by the rod 6, among them they still jut at least a little bitout of said trunk. The free ends of those shafts 17 and 18 are threatedand are able to slide through perforations 19 and 20 provided in acorresponding manner in the rod 7. As fixing means cooperating with theshafts 17 and 18, finally wing nuts 21 and 22 are provided to be screwedonto the threaded free ends of the shafts 17 and 18 which jut out overthe perforations 19 and 20 of the rod 7. This set-up thus enables todispose both retaining elements 6 and 7 on both sides of the shaft, byconnecting them mutually. If only one of the screws 21 or 22 isunscrewed and the other one is only slightly unscrewed, it is alsopossible to let the rod 7 rotate around the axis formed par one of theshafts 17 or 18 (see FIG. 9).

In the example of the embodiment illustrated on FIG. 1, the fixing means17 to 21 simultaneously form the tightening means which, when tightened,submit both retaining elements to forces bringing them mutuallytogether, in such a manner that the trunk of the plant disposed betweenthem can be tighten in a manner adapted to its diameter.

The rod 6 presents, in the example of the embodiment illustrated in FIG.1, a support zone 13 for the trunk 2 of the fir. This first support zone13 is essentially provided in the center of the rod 6 under the form ofthe lateral recess. The first support zone 13, in a schematic view, hasmainly the shape of an arc of a circle, the diameter of whichcorresponds approximately to the maximum diameter of the trunk of plantsto be maintained inside (see trunk 2A represented in mixed dots on FIG.1). That support zone 13 is also provided, at its bottom, with avertical groove 14. In this way, when the trunks have a diameter whichis smaller than the one of trunks 2A, they always dispose of at leasttwo contact points with the support zone 13 (on FIG. 1, see trunk 2Brepresented in full lines and trunk 1C represented in interruptedlines). The support zone 13 can advantageously be provided withanti-friction means, as for example a grooving such as illustrated onFIG. 9.

In the middle of one of its faces, the rod 7 presents a jut out 15, thetop of which is provided with a recess forming a second support zone 16for the trunk of the fir. The height and the width of this jut out 15are provided in a manner that they can eventually penetrate within therecess formed by the first support zone 13, when rods 6 and 7 aretightened around a trunk of small diameter, such as trunk 2C. Thedimensions of the jut out 15 are however such that they cannot come intocontact with the first support zone 13.

In the example illustrated on FIG. 1, the second support zone 16 isformed by two flaps disposed perpendicularly one to another and forminga recess in the form of a V. In this way, this support zone is always incontact with the trunk of the fir and on at least two points in aposition of tightening the trunk. In this position one thus alwaysobtains four contact points between the support member and the trunk ofthe tree, making it a very safe fixing. It is obvious that otherrealization forms of the support zones could be provided. For example,the support zone 13 could also be conformed in a V form.

On the rod 7, there is foreseen, on the side opposite to the secondsupport zone 16, a potential supplementary support zone 23 formed by arecess constituted by two inclined flaps in form of a V. Compared todifference of the recess forming the support zone 16, the support zone23 is not recessed in a jut out of the rod and can advantageously beused for larger trunks of plants, by mounting the rod 7 on the fixingshafts 17 and 18 in a reversed position (see the position of the rod 7Arepresented in mixed dots on FIG. 1).

All those support zones 16 and 23 can of course be provided, in a nonrepresented way, of anti-friction means such as a grooving analogous tothe one illustrated on FIG. 9 for the zone 13.

One can also provide, at the bottom 3 of the receptacle, a maintainingmember 24 having the form of a point on which the trunk of the fir canbe picked, when use is made of a trunk cut beforehand. Because thatmember is not necessary in other cases, its lodging is provided in arecess 25 of the bottom 3, in which it can be inserted and from which itcan then easily be taken out.

The stabilisation means of the device according to the invention areconstituted by water of which the upper level 26 is represented on FIGS.5 to 8. The water thus does not only serve as nutrition source for thefirs but also as stabilization means for the receptacle and thus for thefir planted inside the latter.

The conservation device which has been described will now be used in away given hereunder:

The rod 6 is in a position fastened at its both ends on the border ofthe receptacle 1. The rod 7 is sufficiently put away from the rod 6 by aprogressive unscrewing of the screws 21 and 22. The trunk is thenintroduced into a passage formed between the rods 6 and 7 and the twofixing shafts 17 and 18. This process, even as the state of the art,does not enable the fixing of trunks cut beforehand.

One can advantageously either completely detach the support member 5from the border of the receptacle 1, by completely unscrewing the screws12. In the same way, the rod 7 is completely detached from rod 6. Thetrunk 2, still outside the receptacle, is passed between the fixingshafts 17 and 18 of the rod 6, then the rod 7 is screwed again on theshafts 17 and 18. After tightening of the trunk 2 between the rods 6 and7, such as illustrated on FIG. 10, the whole is placed into thereceptacle and the rod 6 is again fastened on the border of thereceptacle by screwing the screws 12. That way of proceeding, as well asthe one described hereunder, is not limited to a cut trunk, but enableall putting into a pot illustrated on the FIGS. 5 to 8.

One can also detach the rod 6 at one end and slightly unscrew the screw12 at the other end, in such a manner as to let the rod 6 rotateoutwardly, around the hook element 9, 10. This operation enables a largeopening of the aperture of the receptable. In the same way, one of thescrews 21 or 22 is detached and the rod 7 is taken away from one of thefixing shafts 17 or 18, while the other screw is only unscrewed. Thisenables a downwards rotation of the rod 7 around one of the fixingshafts. The thus obtained position is illustrated on FIG. 9. In thisposition, the trunk 2 can be put into the receptacle and then byrotation of the rods and screwing again of the screws, the two rods canbe screwed on both sides of the trunk.

After all those operations, or before them, the receptacle is filledwith water and balasted by it. That water is constantly maintained at afilling level such as illustrated by the reference 26 on the FIGS. 5 to8.

Another embodiment of a device according to the invention is illustratedon FIG. 11. At a difference of the device according to FIG. 1, thesupporting member 5 comprises a first retaining element in the form of atelescopic rod 6. The second retaining element is a spring 27, forexample of the type of a blade, which can be fixed, not on the rod 6,but on the upper border of the receptacle, by fixing means 28 of a knowntype. The fixing means are here formed by the spring self andsimultaneously by the rod 6 which can be brought closer to the spring27.

The big advantage of such a device according to the invention and of itssupport member is thus to enable the placing of a fir in a receptaclewhatever be the state of its trunk, with or without roots. It enables onthe other hand to provide feeding water to the fir, as a ballast for thedevice, which thus remains without taking too much place and verystable.

In an unexpected manner, a fir provided with its roots and holded in aconservation device according to the invention feels a totally unusualfreshness and strength, which is not known by firs provided with someroots and a lump of earth and of which the earth is only moistened in acurrent way. Indeed, those latters, when not properly feeded with water,can continue to live a certain time inside a house. However, thisfeeding cannot be done in the conditions really required by a fir inorder to be in perfect strength and freshness, because then the feedingwater liquifies so the compost added in the receptacle that it is nolonger able to retain on its own the fir introduced into the receptacle.

The applicant has planted at the end of December a fir provided withroots, without earth, by making use of a conservation device accordingto the invention. The fir has thus been maintained in the boiler room ofhis house, that is to say in the worst conditions that can exist.However, two months later, one could establish that non only the fir wasstill living but also that it had moreover bud and that branches until14 cm of length had grown, and that it had not lost anything from itsglitter. On the other hand, it had not stopped during that whole periodto parfume the house with the particular resinous smell, which can beperceived by walking through the fir woods, after heavy rain. There hasnot been observed an abnormal lost of needles around the fir.

The used device and method enable moreover to reduce or eliminate theamount of earth to be removed during the throwing out of a fir. Thatenables not to extract a lot of earth out of the original soil which, atlong term, represents a non-neglectible factor of impoverishment of thatsoil. On the other hand, firs without lump do not necessitate a shortcutting of the roots, such as imposed by the realization of the lump.More radicels can be left to the supplied fir.

Finally, as could be imagined, the method according to the inventionenables the conservations of firs inside in conditions of greatersecurity against fire.

It has to be understood that the present invention is in no way limitedto the embodiments described hereinabove and that a lot of modificationscan be brought to them without leaving its scope.

Support zones of different forms can for example be provide only threecontact points between the trunk and the support zones (see FIG. 11).

A second retaining element can also be provided in the form of anelastic grip, which, instead of being fixed, as it is the case of thespring 27 of FIG. 11, on the receptacle, would be fixed to the firstretaining element.

One can also add, to the feeding water, an adapted composition ofadditives for the culture of the concerned plant.

Finally, it is evident that the method and the conservation device aswell as the support member described hereabove can be used for theoutside conservation of plants.

I claim:
 1. A stand device for a plant having a large diameter trunkwhich comprisesa receptacle in which said trunk can be inserted andwhich has a bottom and an upwardly-extending side that defines aperipheral upper edge, and a support means for supporting said trunk inposition within the receptacle, said support means including anelongated first retaining element which has first and second fasteningmeans for connection to two spaced-apart locations on the peripheralupper edge of said side of said receptacle, and a second retainingelement which has attachment means for adjustably attaching said secondretaining element to said first retaining element in order to clamp saidtrunk therebetween, said first retaining element defining a recessedfirst support zone for a trunk and said second retaining elementincluding a protruding portion which defines a recessed second supportzone for a trunk, said protruding portion being extendable into saidrecessed first support zone of said first retaining element but nevercontacting said first retaining element.
 2. A stand device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said first support zone has approximately in the middlethereof of a vertical groove.
 3. A stand as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid second retaining element presents, opposite to said protrudingportion, a recess forming a potential supplementary support zone, in areversed position of said second retaining element.
 4. A stand asclaimed in claim 1, wherein each of said retaining elements or one ofthem has several potential support zones in order to be adapted to thediameter of the trunk.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidfixing means simultaneously forms said tightening
 6. A stand device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said first retaining element is formed by arod of one or more parts, having a length at least equal to the one of atop opening of said receptacle and carries said fastening means on eachof its ends.
 7. A stand device as claimed in claim 6, wherein saiddevice comprises means for adjusting the length of said rod to thedimension of the opening of said receptacle.
 8. A stand device asclaimed in claim 6, wherein said rod has on one of its lateral faces arecess in shape of an arc of a circle having a radius correspondingapproximately to a maximum radius of a trunk of a plant maintainedinside, said recess forming said first support zone, which canoptionally be provided with anti-friction means, such as a grooving. 9.A stand device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and secondfastening means of the first retaining element comprise elongated holesprovided at both ends of the latter, hook elements provided to cooperatewith an upper border of said receptacle and going through said elongatedholes, and tightening screws to be screwed at a threaded upper end ofsaid hook elements.
 10. A stand device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe first retaining element is fixed by one of its ends on a border ofsaid receptacle by using fastening means enabling a rotation of saidfirst retaining element around said fastening means.
 11. A stand deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein said attachment means comprise two shaftswhich jut out parallel to one of said retaining elements, at a distancewhich is longer than said diameter of said trunk of said plant, and overa length which is longer than said diameter, and wherein the free endsof these shafts are threaded and passed through perforations provided ina corresponding manner on said second retaining element, and whereinblocking screws are screwed on the ends of those shafts which jut outoutside those perforations.
 12. A stand device as claimed in claim 1,wherein said second retaining element is connected to said firstretaining element by means of one of its ends, in such a mnanner than itis able to rotate with respect to said first retaining element.
 13. Astand device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of saidretaining elements is made of an elastic resistant material, the elasticforce of which serving as a force for bringing those retaining elementsmutually together.
 14. A stand device as claimed in claim 1, includingmeans for stabilizing said receptacle which comprises a ballasting ofsaid receptacle mainly formed by water, with which said receptacle isfilled, the water simultaneously serving as feeding means to said plantand being optionally mixed with some liquified earth.
 15. A stand deviceas claimed in claim 14, wherein, when said trunk is cut, said means forstabilizing optionally comprise moreover maintaining elements, whichoptionally are removable, and which are provided in said bottom of saidreceptacle.
 16. A support means for supporting a plant having a largediameter trunk in a receptacle which has an upwardly-extending side thatdefines a peripheral upper edge, said support member comprisinganelongated first retaining element which has first and second fasteningmeans for connection to two spaced-apart locations on the peripheralupper edge of said side of said receptacle, said first retaining elementcomprising means for adjusting its length, and a second retainingelement which has attachment means for adjustably attaching said secondretaining element to said first retaining element in order to clamp saidtrunk therebetween.
 17. A support means according to claim 16, whereinsaid first retaining element includes two spaced-apart elongated slotsthrough which said respective first and second fastening means movablyextend.
 18. A support means according to claim 16, wherein said firstretaining element comprises a telescopic rod device.
 19. A support meansaccording to claim 16, wherein each of said two retaining elements hasat least one support zone for said trunk of said plant in a tighteningposition thereof and wherein said zones are shaped in such a mannerthat, in this position, there will always be at least four contactpoints between said trunk and said retaining elements.